Searching for the perfect gift for a seafaring friend? Looking to stuff stockings with sailor gadgets?

Port Townsend is home to a thriving maritime community, where some of the world’s best marine trade artisans sell their wares, making holiday shopping for sailors an easy task.

The first stop is the historic Point Hudson, a working waterfront since the 1800s. There, the Wooden Boat Chandlery, located in the Northwest Maritime Center, has all your nautical needs.

In medieval times, chandleries were wax workers and candlemakers. But in the 18th century, the chandlers made candles and soap for sailors on ships, since ships were lit by candlelight. Today, chandlers sell all nautical goods, and the Wooden Boat Chandlery is stocked with items that make good stocking stuffers.

“A great gift is our canvas water bag,” said Anna Waters, manager at the Chandlery. “People love to use these to carry their gear on board, anything from tools, lunch, rags, or any odds and ends. It doubles as a water bowl and folds up.”

Those who want a fancier version can check out the Chandlery’s collection of Ortlieb dry bags and water bowls. Their duffel bags will keep sailors’ clothes dry, while their folding bowls can be used for washing, doing dishes, carrying water and more.

“Another great gift idea is Kanberra pure tea tree oil gel,” Waters said. “It’s a super simple way to kill off mold and fungal spores in the air … which can accumulate a lot in wooden boats, and even in fiberglass boats.”

The 4-ounce tub of tea tree oil will last six to seven weeks, and it can help clean and freshen the air inside a boat.

The Chandlery also has a multitude of books on sailing and maritime activities, including some from local authors. One that Waters recommends is “The Handy Box of Knots” by Randy Penn.

“Even those who are experienced always need freshening up on their knots,” Waters said. “When I was in the Coast Guard, we always used to say, ‘If you can’t tie a knot, tie a lot.’ Knots are not necessarily intuitive, and everyone can always work on them.”

The next stop is The Artful Sailor.

Located at the back of the Sail Loft building at Point Hudson, The Artful Sailor sells kits for sailors to make their own ditty bags out of all-natural materials. It’s also where you can pick up “The Sailmaker’s Apprentice” by The Artful Sailor owner Emiliano Marino.

In the book, Marino teaches traditional hand-sewing, sailmaking, rigging and ditty bag making skills, which not only bring history to life, but also help sailors become self-sufficient. Ditty bags date to the 1800s, when sailors would sew bags to store their sailmaking tools on their downtime.

At The Artful Sailor, you can also find sailmakers palms, fids, beeswax and other natural, handmade materials that every sailmaker needs.

After picking up “The Sailmaker’s Apprentice,” complement the gift by going next door to Brion Toss Yacht Rigging and picking up a copy of Toss’ book, “The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice.”  While you’re there, browse the many tools available for riggers of all kinds.

A perfect gift for burgeoning sailors is a sail-making or rigging seminar. The Artful Sailor, Brion Toss Rigging and Hasse & Co. Port Townsend Sails all offer classes several times a year that help sailors learn how to solve problems, sew their own sails and gain traditional sailing skills.

After you make your way through Point Hudson’s shops, take state Route 20 to the Port Townsend Foundry, where all kinds of boating tools, accessories and hardware are handmade.

“One of the most popular things we sell is our boat stars,” Foundry owner Pete Langley said. “They can be used as decoration on the bowsprit or booms. We also do custom sounders, which are used to measure depth, for folks who are buying them as gifts. We’ll cast the boat’s name on them.”

Down the street from the Foundry, Edensaw Woods sells exotic wood and lumber, perfect for boatbuilders and woodworkers alike.

More marine trades artisans can be found at the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven, where there are the Shipwright’s Coop, Marine Thrift, Haven Boatworks and boatbuilders of all kinds.